1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to memorials for the dead. More particularly, the present invention relates to illuminated memorials with solar panels that enable the memorial to recharge its own power source during the day, whereby the power source maintains the illumination of an internal light source at night.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
Many cultures use memorials at grave sites to memorialize the dead. A common such memorial is the tombstone wherein the person's name, date of birth, date of death and perhaps a brief personal message are carved into the stone. Due to religious beliefs and/or superstition, cemeteries are commonly considered places to be avoided at night or during inclement weather conditions. One of the reasons that may have lead to this fearful reputation is that cemeteries are often not well lit. As such, during the night and during inclement weather, cemeteries appear dark, dreary and uninviting. Because cemeteries are not well lit, cemeteries have often become subject to vandalism, wherein tombstones have been desecrated, damaged or toppled.
One of the primary reasons that cemeteries are not well lit is that cemeteries typically are not wired for electricity to a public utility. As a result, no electrical power for lighting is available. Another reason why lights are not present in cemeteries is that cemeteries are often very large and the cost of lighting such a large area is prohibitively expensive to a cemetery with limited financial resources.
In the prior art, there have been many devices invented that are intended to bring light to remote locations were there is no access to the public electric utility. Many of these prior art devices are solar powered units that charge batteries during the day and light a light during the night. Such prior art devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,291 to Frost et al, entitled MARKING LIGHT and U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,930 to Yachabach, entitled PHOTOVOLTAIC LIGHTING FOR OUTDOOR TELEPHONE BOOTH. The problem with many such solar powered systems are that they are fragile and are easily damaged by vandals. As such, they are not easily adapted for use in a cemetery where vandalism is commonplace. Furthermore, there are no poles or other tall structures in a cemetery upon which solar panels can be mounted. As a result, the solar panels must be mounted near the ground were they can be easily reached and damaged. The mounting of solar panels near the ground also means many shadows from trees, bushes and other grave stones many be cast across the solar panels at different times of the day.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,170 to Plamp et al , entitled ILLUMINATED MEMORIAL discloses a prior art solar powered memorial that has many of the disadvantages previously described. In the Plamp patent, a memorial is created using a translucent material such as plastic. Within the plastic structure are disposed a plurality small light emitting diodes that are widely dispersed and only provide a limited amount of illumination. Furthermore, the solar panel is located on the base of the monument where it can easily be kicked, damaged by landscaping equipment and obscured by the overgrowth of grass and weeds. Plastic is not typically known for its high tensile strength or high impact resistance. As such, it should be understood that the monument in the Plamp patent is relatively fragile and can be easily damaged or destroyed by vandals. Furthermore, transparent structures such as those made from glass or plastic provide a very tempting target for vandals throwing stones in an attempt to smash the transparent structure.
The use of multiple small LEDs in a disperse pattern also is problematic because the low degree of light emitted by such an arrangement does little more than dimly illuminate just the memorial. Such lighting arrangements are too dim to illuminate any area surrounding the memorial and are therefore not good sources of ambient lighting. The poor illumination may be even too dim to allow a person to view and read the name and inscription on the memorial. Additionally, when disperse LEDs are used in a transparent structure, a viewer tends to look at the points of the various disperse lights rather than at the memorial itself. From a distance the shape of the memorial may not be discernable at all.
The positioning of a solar panel at ground level in a memorial is highly problematic. First, graves are commonly arranged in rows within the cemetery. As such, new gravestones must be placed in a predetermined place in a predetermined orientation. It is very likely that given the position and orientation of the grave, a solar panel at ground level may not have an unobstructed view of the southern sky. Furthermore, solar panels at ground level are easily obstructed by the shadows cast be surrounding objects and by other things such as overgrown grass, blown leaves, grass cuttings, flowers and the like.
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a solar powered illuminated memorial where the solar panel is elevated to the highest point on the memorial and can be oriented in any direction desired.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an illuminated memorial that is made of metal and is highly resistant to vandalism.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an illuminated memorial that has a concentrated source of illumination that is clearly viewed and provides a bright concentrated source of illumination.
Lastly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an illuminated memorial that can be retroactively added to any existing tombstone.